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IM got hawala money for 13/7 Mumbai blasts: Anti-terrorism squad

The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) suspects that the money required to orchestrate the 13/7 Mumbai blasts was sent to Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives through the hawala route and it came through Pune.

| TNN | Updated: Mar 11, 2014, 02:31 IST

Yasin bhatkal is the chief functionary of the IM in India. He planted the bomb at Dadar.

MUMBAI: The state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) suspects that the money required to orchestrate the 13/7 Mumbai blasts was sent to Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives through the hawala route and it came through Pune. A tobacco firm's owner, whose dispute with a rival was settled in Karachi a few years ago, is also under the scanner, said sources in the security establishment.
The ATS, which is probing the 2011 triple bomb blasts case, is desperately looking for a suspect, identified as Ibrahim. He worked at a real estate firm's office in Pune. The investigators are now zeroing in on this construction firm suspecting its close association with a tobacco manufacturing firm, whose top official was in the news a few years ago due to his Karachi visit and his alleged meeting with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Agencies like NIA, Delhi Police's special cell and state ATS tried to approach the proprietor of the firm. However, "because of his clout" the man is still out of the radar, sources claimed.

Ibrahim is suspected to have channeled hawala money to IM operatives on three occasions — during the planning and execution of the 2008 Gujarat bomb blasts, during the Pune German Bakery bomb blast and the 13/7 Mumbai bomb blasts. These explosions collectively killed 104 people.

"One of the accused, Muzaffar Kola (68), who is suffering from cancer, is from Karnataka. Kola has links with this tobacco manufacturer. The money used in 13/7 was channeled to Delhi and then to Mumbai through Kola's UAE-based firm, Kola Enterprises. Ibrahim who was then working in the construction firm also received some money. The relation between Kola and the construction firm owner prompted us to probe the matter further," said an officer.

"Kola's old association with the tobacco manufacturer cannot be ignored. We are still working on it." While the police claimed to have found evidence of Ibrahim's involvement in the hawala transactions, they also suspect that he might have transported explosives in the past for the IM. "Several things about Ibrahim has emerged during the interrogation of IM top functionary, Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal," the officer added.

IM's suspected co-founder, Yasin Bhatkal, who was in ATS custody, also admitted that he knew Ibrahim.

"After recording statements of several accused and witnesses in this case, we realized that Ibrahim is the main link and if he had been working for several years, there might have been some support pillars. We are trying to collect evidence against the culprits," the source added. Bhatkal, along with his associate Asadullah Akhtar is in Thane jail.

Naqi Ahmed (24)
: A resident of Darbhanga district in Bihar, he allegedly helped IM men to get a room on rent and was stole two scooters, used in the blasts.

Nadeem Akhtar (25)
: He is an Antop Hill resident. Akhtar is alleged to have ferried explosives from Delhi to Mumbai and stolen one of the scooters that had a bomb.

Haroon Naik (35)
: Originally from Beed, Naik is suspected to have sent the hawala money. A charge sheet in a fake currency case filed by the ATS in November, 2011 says Naik travelled to Pakistan for arms training and wanted to avenge atrocities on Muslims across the world, including in Gujarat.

Kanwarnai Pathrija (44)
: A Delhi resident, Pathrija ran a jewellery store in the national capital's Chandni Chowk area. As an alleged hawala operator, Pathrija handed over Rs 10 lakh that he had received from Naik to IM leader Yasin Bhatkal. Pathrija has been granted bail.

Kafeel Ansari (56)
: A Bihar resident, he is suspected to have helped the accused in getting a safe house for their activities.

Wanted

Pakistan-based Riyaz Bhatkal, who is the current IM chief, his elder brother Iqbal, Fayyaz Kagzi and several others are wanted in this case.

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